Nuffnang

Hollywood's golden era photos by British photographer George Douglas

Glamorous images of Hollywood stars and U.S. presidents found in the dusty filing cabinet of a British photographer are set to be exhibited for the first time.

Thousands of images, many in black and white, were unearthed at the Brighton home of George Douglas, after the photographer passed away.

The unique collection includes images of Breakfast At Tiffany's actress Audrey Hepburn, English actor Sir Dirk Bogarde as well as former U.S. president Harry Truman, James Bond star Roger Moore and Peter Sellers.

The images, which span three decades from the 1940s to 1960s, were discovered by fellow photographer and Mr Douglas's neighbour Roger Bamber, who inherited his friend's home following his death.

The negatives, which had lain buried for years, include social and historical images from the period, including the Queen's rat-catcher and Britain's first female chimney sweep, Mr Bamber said.

Thirty images from the archive will go on display at Mr Douglas's former home as part of Brighton's Artists Open Houses festival in May.

Photographer Nigel Swallow, who is now living in the property, said he is expecting it to take him at least a year for himself and Mr Bamber to sort through the photographs, and that he has taken advice as to how it can be properly archived.

Mr Bamber said Mr Douglas, who was born in Rottingdean, East Sussex, but moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1939, trained in aeronautical design engineering but his heart was not in it.